Operation NIGHT
by Darkton93
Summary: One fateful night, Sector V encounters the very definition of fear: the Boogeyman himself. With each one being taken down one-by-one, who will be the one to save the others? No Arc. Halloween Special.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

"And then Red said, 'Grandma! What big teeth you have!'" A typical night for a typical child, listening to his mom read his favorite book before bed. "And the Big Bad Wolf said, 'All the better to EAT you with, my dear!' And then he jumped right at her and swallowed her up in one big gulp! The end!"

The kid laughed. "That's my favorite part! Red is so mean!"

"Well, let's head you off to bed, little dear."

"Mama?" the kid said in a worried tone.

"Yes, Daniel?"

"I mean, like, if you were like, a wolf and not really my mom, how'd I not get eaten?"

"Well, maybe some other time I can tell you a _different_ story with Red Riding Hood, where she's the good guy!"

"Oh, cool!"

"Well, have a good rest. I love you." The mother smooched her son on the head.

"I love you too, mama."

"Good night. Sleep tight. Don't let the bedbugs bite."

"Good night, mama."

The mother turned off the lights and shut the door.

And in that feeling, nothing was left but the darkness. Nothing to see, nothing to make out. What hidden terrors lay in this void, what monsters mortal minds dare not comprehend? Daniel bolted out of bed to open the window. The light outside usually did the trick. Except the natural source of light, the moon, betrayed him. Thoughts of full moons, howling wolves, werewolves… werewolves look like humans. The wolf looked like Red's Gramma. And mom might even be….

 **"** **Scary thought, isn** **'** **t it?** **"** The voice that permeated the air was thick, breathy, otherworldly, and all around nasty. It had every hint of a cultured villain who fed off fear, nothing more appropriate to describe the literal monster who used it. **"** **That your mother may not be who she says she is? Of course, dread can come from anywhere, can it?** **"**

The bed bled a creeping darkness which enveloped the room, a darkness that also emerged from the closet. As if the darkness from before was bad enough, this left nothing available to see. A terror which enveloped all light, where nothing escaped its all-obscuring mass.

…except the beast. A man with pale, clammy skin, long, thin claws, spindly animalistic legs, a pair of large, red, pointy eyes, a mouth home to over a thousand sharp teeth, and a pair of crooked horns. **"** **Perhaps Sally doesn** **'** **t like you, and never did? What if your food is poisonous? Turning you into a horse? That man you talked to earlier, was he a stranger? So many fun things to think about, _so_ much _dread_. Though, I am lacking a certain kind of delicacy, something a little more** **…** **_primal_.** **"**

The bed began to shake violently, light exposing its form. The curtains split into a sort of wings, scaring the boy off of it. Six long, thin legs burst from the bed's sides, and it soon lifted itself off of them. The front contorted itself into a set of compound eyes and a pair of mandibles. And when the creature gave a loud screech, the identity of this beast became clear, " _A BEDBUUUUG_!"

Daniel ran around the room, but with nothing to see, he found himself bumping into walls and other objects, while the Bedbug bolted at him. No matter how far he tried to run, the bug was always in pursuit, always stalking him.

 **"** **Oh, isn** **'** **t it just the cutest thing you** **'** **ve ever seen? Such terror, such** **…** **_dread_. Of course, it** **'** **s not over. Didn** **'** **t mother dear say not to let the bed _bugs_ bite? As in** **…** **_there_** ** _'_** ** _s more than one_** **?** **"**

The door burst open, revealing mom and dad's bed, also turned into a Bedbug. And Daniel's mother was lying down in bed, still sleeping, completely unaware of the horrors before him. "MAMA! MAMA! There's Bedbugs, and they're biting, and…"

His mother woke up, and Daniel immediately caught note of something…

"Mama… your teeth! They're… huge."

His mother gave a big, toothy grin, slowly turning into a wolf. "All the better to EAT YOU WITH, _MY DEAR_!" And she immediately pounced at him, looking straight for the kill. As Daniel screamed in fear, for a split-second, he could've sworn he saw the monster from earlier instead, roaring straight at him lightning fast.

All the boy could do was lie down in the fetal position, repeating "I'm scared" over and over, completely sleepless. The worst part? None of this was even happening. He was still lying in his bed, the events only happening in his mind.

The Boogeyman had struck again.


	2. Transmission 1

**Now Loading**

 **Kids Next Door Mission**

 **Operation: N.I.G.H.T.**

 **Nasty**

 **Injects**

 **Grave**

 **Heavy**

 **Terror**

 **Writing Operatives:**

 **Lieutenant Darkton**

 **Original Mission Director:**

 **Mr. Warburton**

* * *

With a rock, a sock, and a bop, Stickybeard was defeated by the goold ol' Sector V. "Alright, Kids Next Door," Numbuh 1 directed, "let's get our candy back from this hustler!"

"Hey, I earned this legitimately!" Stickybeard said. "You can't be taking what's mine like that!"

"You STOLE this from kids goin' tricker-treating!" Numbuh 4 said. "I lost my million libs of candy 'cause o' you!"

"Well, stealin' is a legitimate form of business. Just ask those candy stores! Abandon all hope ye who shop there! Tis the reason I don't go."

"Well, 'fraid you'll have to choke on the air puddin' of defeat!" Numbuh 2 said, snickering.

"Is that supposed to be funny? Because it isn't!"

"Ya know what's really funny, Sticky?" Numbuh 5 said. "If you'da just asked, Numbuh 5 woulda letcha have some o' hers! But noooo, ya had ta go and swipe it, didn'tcha?"

Stickybeard smiled sweetly with his sour-toothed smile. "Yes."

"Well next time, stick to plundering money like a _real_ pirate, Stickybeard" Numbuh 1 said, "and leave the candy for the kids!"

At last, Numbuh 1 came upon the prize: a gihugic treasure chest full of candy, all belonging to Sector V. He handed it to Numbuh 3 and 4, who roped down from the plank to the street below.

"I don't think that be what I meant when I said 'walk the plank!'" Stickybeard lamented.

* * *

Sector V, cheering for victory with their chest full of candy dumped all over the floor, were gathered in a circle around it.

"Alright men," Numbuh 1 said, "to the victors the spoils!"

Thus the V Team finally enjoyed their more-than-hard-earned candy and pigged out all over it. Numbuh 2 gulped whole jawbreakers and smashed them into his mouth. Numbuh 3 used a Laffy Taffy as dental floss before tossing it into her mouth. Numbuhs 4 and 5 briefly fought with licorice sticks before tossing them into the air, right into their mouths. And Numbuh 1 lined his teeth with candy corn before chomping the candy one at a time.

The feast continued and continued and seemed to show no signs of stopping… but noticeably each second was slower than the last before it, everything seeming to slow to a crawl. A sugar crash had taken over, and the kids felt just about ready to go to bed. So they calmly walked over to their bedding area, put on the covers to their unique beds, and lied down for a good night sleep.

An evil giggle woke them up shortly afterwards, from that same charming yet sinister voice. " **My, my, my. Such awful table manners. Haven** **'** **t your parents ever told you that too much candy late at night is bad for you? Then again, I** **'** **m sure they have, and like the _good_ little boys and girls you are, _you ignored them_**."

Numbuh 1 bolted out of bed. "Who are you? Show yourself!"

The entire room turned pitch black. " **Who am I? Truly a question for the ages. How should I put this?** " A shadow began to slink over the room, carrying that sharp-dressed monster. " **Have you ever heard the phrase,** **'** **the only thing we have to fear is fear itself?** **'** **Well then, the only thing you have to fear** **…** **_is me_.**"

The V Team gathered together in the center of the doorway to their rooms. "Gonna have to do better than that, ugly," Numbuh 4 said.

" **Hmhmhmhmhmhmhm** **…** **have you ever heard the stories of monsters in closets? Under the bed? Things that go bump in the night?** " To punctuate this, the shadow flew from a closet, from the underside of the bed, and made a loud bumping noise.

"Y…you?" Numbuh 3 whittled.

" **Yes** **…** **you catch on very quickly. I** **'** **m the one you know all about without even having heard a story of. I am** **…** **_the Boogeyman_.**"

"Numbuh 5, lock down the base," Numbuh 1 said. "We don't want him getting lose."

"Don't have to tell me twice!" Numbuh 5 said, hitting the switch.

The doors and windows all sealed shut, the treehouse being filled with an eerie red glow.

" **Oh, you** **'** **re quick tonight,** " the Boogeyman said. " **I guess that leaves just you, me, and the wonderful red glow of the room. You see, I never had any intentions of leaving in the first place, and even though you think you** **'** **ve trapped me in here with you, _you_** ** _'_** ** _ve actually trapped yourselves in with me_** _._ "

"Guess again, Scarecrow!" Numbuh 2 said. "It's gonna take a lot more than turning out the lights to stop us!"

"Because as long as we're together," Numbuh 3 said, "there's nothing you can do to beat us!"

 **"** **Well** **…** **alright. I AM flexible** **…"** the Boogeyman mused back.

As if on cue, five massive walls burst from the ground, walling off Sector V to each other, making it impossible for them to find each other. Now, more than ever, they were all alone.

Instinctively, Numbuh 5 turned on her Contactor. "Suggestions, boss?"

Numbuh 1 spoke into his. "Meet me at the designated point. You can find it through your Trackamabob."

"Right!"

"Roger!" Numbuh 2 said.

"You can count on me!" Numbuh 4 said.

"B…but it's so dark…" Numbuh 3 quivered.

 **"** **That** **'** **s the spirit, girl! Such perfect dread** **…"** the Boogeyman said as the others dispersed. **"A** **h, but don** **'** **t worry** **…** **the others will follow** **…"**

* * *

Numbuh 1 traveled through the halls of his own base, only guided by a red light. His S.C.A.M.P.P. had enough light to guide, letting him navigate around corners.

Suddenly, a massive wave of blackness overcame the room. HE was here.

 **"** **Going somewhere?** **"** the voice was that distinct mocking cultured voice.

Numbuh 1 pointed his flashlight to the darkness, but the darkness even enveloped his flashlight.

 **"** **I think you** **'** **ll find that won** **'** **t do you any good.** **"**

"Tch. You may snuff out my light, but if you think you can snuff out my spirit, you're…"

Suddenly, Numbuh 1 tripped on some unseen object, landing flat on his stomach. As he got up, he heard a voice from some stranger saying "Hey, look! That boy's wearing RAINBOW MONKEY UNDERWEAR!"

And indeed, people started laughing at Numbuh 1, to which he responded with worry. "W-wait, you don't understand! I was just…"

"Geez," a stranger said, "talk about a real loser!"

"Kiss your Man Card GOODbye!"

"Well, at least his MOMMY thinks he's special!"

Numbuh 1 quivered… "B-but…" He started gasping in fear when he saw his teammates laughing at him, too.

"Oh wow! Our boss likes Rainbow Dorkies?" Numbuh 4 said. "What was I thinking listenin' to HIS orders?"

"Yeah, looks like Mr. Uno is a real ZERO!" Numbuh 2 said.

"Geez, it's a secret for a reason, Numbuh 1!" Numbuh 3 said.

"Aww man!" Numbuh 5 said. "Maybe Numbuh 5 should've given the leader role to someone ELSE!"

"G-guys!" The laughter continued. "Guys, PLEASE!" The laughter deepened. "PLEASE, STOP!" The Boogeyman joined in the horrific, monstrous laughter. "STOOOOP!" At last, the Boogeyman pounced at him with a roar.

And none of it was really happening. Numbuh 1, curled on the floor in the fetal position, hands on head, pajamas intact, was simply rambling to himself. "…p-please… just stop… s-stop it… please…"

* * *

Numbuh 2 looked around the room for some kind of flashlight. The lights made it difficult to find something. "Screwdriver… wrench… drill… huh?" Numbuh 2 pulled out a stuffed animal. "She's gotta stop leaving stuff behind… wait, wasn't that mine?" He continued looking. "Ahah!" He pulled out a flashlight. "Gotcha!"

Then the lights suddenly cut out as a wave of darkness enveloped Numbuh 2.

"Uh… is that one of you guys?"

 **"** **Take a wild guess** **…"** T'was the Boogeyman once more.

"Hah! Well, you think you're gonna beat me? I'm gonna pick you right outta my nose, BOOGER Man!"

Suddenly, he heard an audience booing him. As if by magic, he was on a stage set with a microphone, and an entire booing audience was in front of him.

"You call that a joke?" a stranger said.

"YOU'RE a better joke than those!"

"I could pull a better joke outta my NOSE!"

"Hey, hey, guys, there's no need to…" Numbuh 2 protested.

However, in no short time, the audience started pelting fruit at him, the juice and slime covering him with gunge.

"I paid $20 for THIS?!"

"Get offa the stage!"

"Just quit yer career, DORK!"

"A-all I meant was…" Nubmuh 2 said, being hit by a rotten tomato. And the thrower? "Numbuh 4?"

Indeed, Numbuh 4 was in the audience, with a sneering Numbuh 5 with him. "Hey, this sure is funnier than listenin' to YOUR lines! No two-bit comic like you could EVER be a friend of mine!"

"B-but… Numbuh 5?"

"Hoagie… you just stink," Numbuh 5 said.

"But I…" The fruit tossing intensified. "I was just…" A massive, dark fruit came his way… "I-I…" The fruit seemingly morphed into he head of the Boogeyman. "I'M SORRY!" The Boogeyman roared and pounced at him.

And none of it was real. Numbuh 2 was just lying down in tears, saying to nobody in particular, "I'm sorry… I-I tried… I'm really sorry…"

* * *

Numbuh 4 wasn't about to let anything get to him. Every corner he went down he pointed his Mustard Pistol at. The red light didn't scare him one bit. In fact, he thought it was cool! Whatever the case may be, as long as he had his pride, he'd be fine.

So when the halls turned black to signal his arrival, he simply fired in all directions. Surely one hit would get him, right?

 **"** **Congratulations. You succeeded in doing absolutely nothing,** **"** the Boogeyman said.

"C'mon, ya cruddy monster!" Numbuh 4 boasted. "Why don't ya face me yourself? Or are you just… chicken? Bawk, bawk, bawk!"

 **"** **A _chicken,_ am I?** **"** The sound of massive footsteps could be heard. **"** **Perhaps I** **'** **ll show you exactly what _kind_ of chicken I AM!** **"** A feathered Tyrannosaurus-chicken hybrid burst onto the scenes, carrying some elements of the Boogeyman like the horns and dark colors.

The battle was on! Numbuh 4 took no time in shooting for the eyes, to which the Boogeyman tried to smash him underfoot, which Numbuh 4 evaded with a roll. Once away, he jumped onto its tail and climbed its way to the head. Upon reaching the top, he pulled on the horns like a bullfighter, pushing its neck so high up Numbuh 4 was worried he was going to fall. It was a small worry, however, as the Aussie slammed the bird-lizard monster to the ground, incapacitating it.

Victorious, Numbuh 4 walked off in the distance. "Heh, what were you gonna do, anyway? I've fought bullies, robots, and all kinds of things. There ain't nothin' that's gonna scare…"

As if on cue, Numbuh 4 noticed he was stepping into a puddle, and on the other side of him was the ocean itself. He started to panic quickly, moving to the other side, only to find when he did the water level was rising! As if things couldn't get worse, a massive wave appeared, engulfing him in water. Now completely submerged, Numbuh 4 panicked and tried to swim out of it, worrying that he was gonna run out of air at any moment, since he didn't seem to be making any progress.

And then, things went from bad to worse as a shark began circling in the water, headed directly for Numbuh 4. And when it began to turn into a pouncing Boogeyman, even Numbuh 4 had no choice but to scream his head off despite being underwater.

Except he wasn't. All that the view outside showed was Numbuh 4 on the ground, twitching around as if he couldn't swim.

* * *

Numbuh 5 wasn't taking any chances. She used her Trackamabob to lock on to the nearest operative. She noticed Numbuh 3 was making it close to the rendezvous point, so she set her sights on her. Realizing that the other three were not moving, the conclusion was obvious: The Boogeyman had gotten to them.

Eventually, Nubmuh 5 managed to get to Numbuh 3. "Nubmuh 5!" Numbuh 3 said.

"Good, we got together," Numbuh 5 said. "Bad news: the boys are out cold. They've stopped moving, so I can only guess the Boogeyman got to them."

 **"Did somebody say my name?"** the Boogeyman said, bringing with him his enveloping darkness. Numbuh 3 panicked and hid behind Numbuh 5.

"You… you took out the boys, didn't you?"

 **"You could say that. You'd best hope the odds are in your favor, _if_ you catch my drift."**

"Listen up, you! I ain't got time for your little games!" Though she did not realize it, Numbuh 5's voice was slowly starting to deepen, along with another fact that was unsettling Numbuh 3. "You think you're so tough, you and your little 'I'm the master of fear!' thing? You're just a two bit Scarecrow, and you're…"

"NUMBUH 5!" Numbuh 3 said.

"What?!"

"You're… you're getting bigger."

Numbuh 5 soon noticed she was twice the height of Numbuh 3. "Wh…what? But I… ohh…" Numbuh 5 dropped to her knees. "I don't feel so…"

Suddenly, Numbuh 5 experienced a series of rapid changes. Her arms grew more slender, her hips larger, her hair grew out, and her chest expanded. As she looked at herself, what had just happened was clear. "I… I'm a teenager? What did you do to me?!"

"Not him… you did it to yourself." The voice wasn't the Boogeyman at all. Numbuh 5 turned around to see who she wanted to see absolutely last: Cree Lincoln herself. "You hit the big One-Three. Your biological clock just ran out." Cree took out her hand. "Well, as your big sister, let me be the first to say… welcome to your teenage years!"

As Cree started laughing, Numbuh 5 started panicking. "No… no, not now! NOOOO!"

Numbuh 3, however, saw as plain as day what was really going on. Numbuh 5 was sitting with her hands on her head, tears in her eyes, rapidly saying "No," over and over.

 **"** **Let** **'** **s count all the sheep I** **'** **ve gotten** **…** **1, 2, 4, 5** **…** **oh** **…** **_seems I missed one._** ** _"_**

With her teammates defeated and her all alone, Numbuh 3 knew her number was up. It was just her and the Boogeyman, and with all the stories she'd heard, it would soon be just the Boogeyman.

 **Transmission Interrupted**


	3. Transmission 2

**Connection Re-Established**

Numbuh 1 was crying in his sleep, having his love of Rainbow Monkeys exposed in a very personal way.

Numbuh 2 was shivering in the night, realizing his failure as a comedian.

Numbuh 4 was twitching constantly, drowning in an endless sea.

Numbuh 5 was distraught and disturbed, turned into a teenager and turned against her friends.

Only Numbuh 3 was left, and as she quivered in terror, she knew the end was nigh.

 **"** **Poor, poor, Kuki** **…"** the Boogeyman said. **"** **All alone with no one to save her** **…** **the weak link** **…** **the failure.** **"**

"P-please…" Numbuh 3 said, "d-don't do anything too rough to me… I…I…"

Numbuh 362 stepped in, alongside 60 and 86. "Numbuh 3!"

Numbuh 3 perked up.

"Your record is very spotty as of late."

"Your performance is UNacceptaBLE!" Numbuh 60 barked.

"And because of that…" Numbuh 86 said, "you are scheduled for immediate Decommissioning!"

Numbuh 3's face suddenly turned blank. "Wait a minute…" She smiled. "Hee hee hee! You're silly! You can't decommission someone just for bad performance!"

"Well how're you gonna keep going when your records show you as weak and helpless?"

"That's fine! I _am_ weak and helpless, so I just get my friends to help me out!"

"Yes, but… don't you feel you're letting your teammates down?"

"Geez, Mister Boogeyman, this dream isn't all that scary! It just doesn't make sense!"

The three members of High Command disappeared, leaving a frustrated Boogeyman. "Forget it… this isn't working out. **Still, there are** **…** **other ways to skin the cat** **…"**

Numbuh 4 stepped in, very angry. "Ku-u-u-KI!"

Numbuh 3 smiled and waved hello. "Hi, Wally! What'cha up to?"

"Don't you 'Hi Wally!' me, you stupid little twit! You've been a pain in my butt for far too long! I don't ever wanna see you ever again!"

"Okay, now I KNOW this is a dream! Numbuh 4 would never say all that!"

Numbuh 4 disappeared, leaving a Boogeyman who was losing his patience. "You're very stubborn, you know that? Hm… **Aaaah! This will do!** **"**

A purple Rainbow Monkey sat on the floor. Numbuh 3 immediately walked to it. "Aww, you're all lonely, little Rainbow Monkey! Well don't worry, I'll get you to a new home, and you can live with…" The monkey's eyes turned evil. "…me?"

Suddenly, the Rainbow Monkey transformed into a monstrous, hairy gorilla, the kind King Kong sees in his nightmares. It roared at Numbuh 3 loudly and harshly, leaving Numbuh 3 to scream at last.

Numbuh 3 recovered instantly, though. "Geez, that really startled me!"

"WHAT?! _Startled_? You weren't _scared_?"

"Of course not! You can't just throw a bunch of stuff at people and scare them! The real scary stuff lasts longer than 5 seconds!"

As the Boogeyman growled, he tried a few classic scenarios. Falling from the sky? Numbuh 3 pretended she was flying like a bird. Teeth falling out? She just got some dentures from Sigmund Teef. Naked at school? She just ran through the halls without a care in the world.

"This… this isn't RIGHT! WHY aren't you getting scared?"

"Oh please! You're just not all that scary! I mean like, these are all just bad dreams! They'll be over when the sun comes up, and…"

"Shut up, **shut up,** ** _SHUT UP!_** **"** And in a cloud of smoke, the Boogeyman disappeared, taking with him the darkness in the room. Numbuh 3 could see clearly now. The nightmare was gone.

"Wow, that was easy!"

She then turned to Numbuh 5, who was still a panicked mess.

"Well… if I could do it…" She began talking to Numbuh 5. "Hey, Numbuh 5? What's wrong?"

In the dream, the teenage Numbuh 5 was quivering in terror. "I… I'm a teenager! I'm different! I… I'm sorry, Kuki, I can't be you're friend anymore…"

"Don't say that, Numbuh 5! Don't you remember all those cool older guys you know? There're people out there your age who're totally okay with being friends to kids, you'll be fine! 'Cuz I know even if you're not Numbuh 5, Abby Lincoln is still a really good person!"

Suddenly, the dream began to turn. A voice Numbuh 5 recognized called out "Back off, Teeny Bopper!" Indeed, when Numbuh 5 turned around, Katie and the rest of the Drill Team were waiting for her. "We found her first! Get your own!" Katie turned to her friends. "Guys, take out Cree! I'll handle Dear Abby!" And instinctively the members of the Drill Team struck the Loyalist invaders.

"K-Katie?" Numbuh 5 said, unsure.

Katie smiled. "Promise 's a promise, Fiver! Ready to hang out with the REAL cool kids on the block?"

"Y… you bet! Count Abby in!"

And when Numbuh 5 shook Katie's hand in solidarity, the Boogeyman screamed in defeat. The darkness vanished, and everything had returned to normal.

"I… it's all…" Numbuh 5 turned to Numbuh 3, who smiled sweetly. Numbuh 5 then hugged her tightly. "Thanks, Kuki. You're a real sweetheart."

"You're welcome, Abby!" The two broke away. "So what's the plan now?"

"We gotta get everyone back. The Trackamabob should help us find them. First thing's first, we gotta get the boss."

* * *

The two girls came across their formerly fearless leader, curled up and teary. "Boogeyman must've got him good," Numbuh 5 said. "Listen, whatever you did to me, do to him, Numbuh 3."

"You got it! Heehee!" Numbuh 3 pranced over to Numbuh 1, then turned sweet. "Hi, Numbuh 1! What's wrong?"

"Th…they know…" Numbuh 1 droned, "They know I love Rainbow Monkeys… I can't call myself a boy anymore…"

"Why not?"

"Well, boys aren't allowed to like girl things! They just aren't!"

"Why not?"

"H-huh?"

"It really doesn't matter. If you're a good enough person, people will like you for you and won't care about that part. Like whatever you want, even if it's girl stuff!"

As if on cue, Numbuh 1 heard a less-mocking voice. "Woah! You're a Mankey, too? Awesome! Who's your fave?"

"I… I like Smarty Pants."

More fans showed up. "Silly kid! That's not how you pronounce 'Berry Blue!'"

"Hey, Shrinking Violet's her fave, too!"

"Not before Sky Soaring!"

"I like Hot Lixx!"

"Oooh! Background monkey? Awesome!"

"Hey, did you hear they were gonna bring back the villain from G1?"

" _Draco's_ comin' back? Awesome!"

Numbuh 1 smiled, then turned confident. "You know… I happen to be leader of the Boys and Girls Teamwork Rules club… care to join?"

"You bet!"

"Don't see why not!"

"You're the boss!"

And as the cheering audience lifted him into the air with a chant of "Mankeys Rule!" the Boogeyman could no longer keep the illusion. The darkness rescinded, and the three were reunited.

Numbuh 1 took some time to catch his bearings, then returned to his default mode. "Excellent work, Numbuh 3."

Numbuh 3 saluted. "You betcha!"

"Numbuh 5, how many does the Trackamabob say are left?"

"I count two more," Numbuh 5 said. "Numbuh 2 seems the closest to our position."

"Then that's who we'll go after. We should stick together this time. Kids Next Door, move out!"

* * *

The three indeed came across Numbuh 2 in his workshop, quivering in shame. "I take it you can handle it from here, Numbuh 3?" Numbuh 1 said.

"Of course!" Numbuh 3 said. "I've gotten this far!" Numbuh 3 then walked up to Numbuh 2, then spoke softly. "Something the matter, Numbuh 2?"

"I'm a terrible comedian…" Numbuh 2 said. "I'm not funny, I can't tell a joke to save my life… what'm I gonna do?"

"Everyone makes mistakes, Numbuh 2. Do you think your favorite guys started out the best? You just gotta practice, practice, practice! And you'll get better at it all the time! And then you'll REALLY be funny!"

Suddenly, Tommy took the stage, shielding Numbuh 2. "Hey, back off!" he said. "You leave my brother alone!"

"T-Tommy?" Numbuh 2 said.

"By the way, I saw your big jokebook. There's some fun stuff in there! Why did the skeleton cross the road?"

"W-why?"

"He didn't! He didn't have the GUTS!" The two started laughing.

"Oooh, oooh! What's the difference between a jewler and a jailer? One sells watches! The other… WATCHES _CELLS_!" Suddenly the audience began to join them in laughter. "I spilled spot remover on my dog! The worst part? He's a DALMATIAN!"

The audience began to cheer and clap, as the Boogeyman began to scream. The colors turned from black to red, the spell banished at last.

Numbuh 2 was in top form again. "Heh, cool moves, Numbuh 3! You really turned off the DARK! Heheh!"

Numbuh 3 gifted Numbuh 2 with a laugh, not quite meaning it, but just to be nice. The other two joined in as a gesture of kindness.

"Well, guess there's one left to go! And if all of you guys're here…"

* * *

The four soon came across a twitching Numbuh 4, unable to tell what was wrong with him. "Is he under attack?" Numbuh 1 said.

"Maybe he's underwater?" Numbuh 5 remarked.

"Don't worry… I got this," Numbuh 3 said confidently.

Numbuh 2 smirked. "She sure does…"

Inside Numbuh 4's realm of imagination, he couldn't seem to get himself out of the water. He tried everything he could, but nothing worked.

However, he saw something. A light. A boat.

Kuki.

Kuki reached to the edge and extended her open hand into the water. Numbuh 4 turned to surprise. Then to determination. Then to courage.

The progress started slow. His first few motions only got him a little far up. But he knew he couldn't stop slowly. He had to put his effort into it. For victory. For her. More and more, he got the hang of the water, and became faster and faster, soon reaching an absolute peak.

Ever closer he got to her warm hand, evermore the distance closed…

And then… contact! Kuki pulled him out of the water and to the boat, all accompanied by the Boogeyman screaming in defeat.

And, in a flash of light, everything was as it was before. No more water, no more darkness, no more Boogeyman.

Just him, his teammates… and his girl.

"B…but how did you… and I was…"

Wordlessly, Numbuh 3 just hugged Numbuh 4, smiling sweetly and lovingly.

"Th…thanks, Kuki."

Numbuh 3 giggled.

"Y…ya know… there's somethin' I wanted ta tell ya, and now's good as any. I…I'm…"

 **"** ** _INCONCIEVABLE_** **!** **"** The room turned pitch black once more, only all five operatives were together, the Boogeyman's horrific figure now plainly visible. **"** **There** **'** **s no _way_ you could** **'** **ve broken free of my spell! How did you do it? _How_?!** **"**

"Ya know, I think we know your weakness, Boogeyman…" Numbuh 2 said.

"I betcha we know what YOU'RE afraid of!" Numbuh 5 boasted.

 **"** **I fear _NOTHING_! I am fear _incarnate_! What could I _possibly_ have to fear?** **"**

"Simple, really," Numbuh 1 said. "You're afraid that you're not scary."

"What?"

"You're scared that people aren't scared of you!" Numbuh 4 said. "What's scarier for fear itself than having no power?"

"You're being ridiculous! I have power over **ALL!** **"**

"Oh yeah! You don't scare me ya jerk!" Numbuh 3 remarked.

"Bore!" Numbuh 1 smarmed.

"Has-been!" Numbuh 5 snarked.

"Lame duck!" Numbuh 2 joked.

"Stupid, worthless, not-scary piece of…" Numbuh 4 said before…

 **"** ** _SIIIILEEEEENCE!_** **"** the Boogeyman roared in a deeper voice than normal, creating a shockwave that knocked all five operatives into walls. The Boogeyman soon began droning to himself with his head in his hands. "I am fear, I am the mind killer, I am the little death that brings certain destruction, **I am the glue that holds society together,** **I AM POWER!** **"**

The room was enveloped by a bright light, as the shadows retreated to the beds, closets, and out the windows.

And soon, a tiny Boogeyman was curled in the sky, slowly fading away. "I have no power…I am nobody… I am nothing…" The menace was gone. The nightmare was over.

The five V Kids wished each other a pleasant rest of their night, as Numbuhs 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 each tucked themselves to bed. With the enemy defeated and the day won, the heroes had earned their reward: a good night's sleep.

Or rather, a good morning's nap, since the clock struck 9AM, the lockdown phase ended, bursting open the windows, and the sun beamed directly into their eyes.

Some people just can't catch a break.

 **End Transmission**


End file.
